Living Locally
This International Women’s Day, support a woman-owned or co-owned business
February 27, 2019
International Women’s Day falls on March 8, and is a worldwide celebration of empowering women and the acknowledgement towards gender equality with this year’s theme is “Balance for better.”
We have compiled an extensive list of REAP businesses that are owned in some way by women. Check out the selection below:
Beauty:
Ellie Bianca is a skincare company on a mission to empower women in Canada and in Africa through business and education. Whether it be employing women in Chad to harvest ingredients or by raising funds to create a scholarship for single mothers in Calgary.
Neal’s Yard Remedies Canada is a family-owned skincare company that works with suppliers around the world to find unique, sustainable ingredients for its products.
Pure Creations is a skincare company that works directly with farmers in British Columbia and Alberta to procure ingredients from their produce.
SwizzleSticks SalonSpa has a decades-long reputation for its sustainable approach to wellness and beauty. From the ethical beauty brands to donating hair clippings to an organization that fashions the clippings to soak up oil spills in the ocean, SwizzleSticks SalonSpa is dedicated to making an impact.
The Apothecary in Inglewood is a one-stop wellness shop, from house-made or locally-sourced bath and beauty products, to essential oils, and its crowning glory: a refillery station dedicated to spreading the zero-waste lifestyle.
YYC Beeswax uses locally-sourced beeswax to craft everything from candles to food wraps and skincare products, carefully considered to reduce waste and solve everyday issues from dryness to the annoyance of saran wrap.
Building and Construction:
Ryan Murphy Construction is a construction company run by two women eager to shake up their industry. From residential to commercial projects, and retrofitting for accessibility needs.
Vertical Oxygen creates living walls – feature walls fully engulfed in tropical plants -- to beautify and purify homes, offices, retail spaces, and schools.
Business services:
Beyond Paper Bookkeeping is a bookkeeping firm helping businesses of all sizes manage their backlog and maintain their fiscal-year goals.
BRAVE Communications is a communications consultancy that helps individuals and organizations find their authentic voice, from marketing materials to presentation skills.
Human Touch Events is an event planning and management business, working with anyone from families to corporate clients to create engaging experiences that bring people closer together.
JMK Admin Services is a remote-based administrative operation with a background in the federal government. Founder Jo Kelly is also a staunch advocate for equal opportunity for people with disabilities, as she herself is a former Paralympian who uses a wheelchair.
Karma & Cents is a philanthropic firm specializing in meeting the needs of family foundations and enterprises towards their legacy and social impact objectives.
ProVision Coaching is a coaching firm specializing in the unique needs of family-owned businesses, using founder and lead coach Laura Bechard’s personal experience in the field to her advantage to help other businesses and families live in harmony.
The Bridge is a coworking space founded by a husband and wife, with the goal to help fellow parent entrepreneurs balance work and life in a stable and cooperative environment. They also have started offering a long-form Accelerator program, the first cohort of which is geared towards female entrepreneurs.
The Commons is a coworking and events space founded by a woman and her brother. The pair have worked hard to foster a unique environment with deep roots in the community, ensuring that members of the space and its staff feel like part of their family.
Trico Changemakers Studio is a unique coworking space based out of Mount Royal University, with a very specific mandate to onboard organizations and individuals across all sectors – as long as they are working towards systemic change to make a better future for all people.
Vida Events is an event planning and management business that works exclusively with non-profit events in hopes of increasing engagement in their communities and inspiring others to donate or become otherwise involved.
Vital Partners Inc. is an insurance brokerage that specializes in finding health benefit solutions for entrepreneurs, small to medium businesses, and non-profits.
Families:
Calgary Reads is a non-profit organization founded by a former teacher that aims to promote childhood literacy in Calgary, with a specific focus on under-served communities and schools.
Claudia’s Choices provides sustainable, natural solutions for laundry. Especially geared towards families with small children.
Dogma Training and Pet Services works with reactive dogs of all ages and their owners to create harmony at home and out in the world between people and pets.
Dr For Moms Family Health Center is a one-stop shop for family wellness, including chiropractors, yoga, massage, and holistic nutrition – among many other modalities – to help moms and their children thrive.
Growing Co is a retail and consignment outlet for Canadian-made and sustainable kid’s clothing and products, both new and used, founded by a mom on a mission to help make the shopping experience fun for kids and parents, and more sustainable for the environment.
Muttley Crue is a dog grooming and daycare facility, promoting sustainable, local products and wellness for dogs in addition to peace of mind for their owners.
Stephanie Hrehirchuk is a local author, whose books for children are a guide for creating little environmental stewards.
Food and Beverage:
Devil’s Head Coffee is a roasterie owned by a husband and wife duo, who work directly with coffee farmers around the world to produce single-origin beans.
Gemstone Grass-Fed Beef is a family-owned ranch in rural Alberta, working to promote sustainable cattle production.
Highwood Crossing is a family-owned grain farm in High River that goes back centuries, and still uses the same principles from a century ago to produce all-natural, non-GMO canola and other grain products.
River Café Group includes Deane House and River Café, two local long-standing restaurants that work to make dining on Canadian cuisine an enriching experience for all.
True Buch is a kombucha company with deep community roots, from procuring sustainable ingredients for its beverages, to using its products to give back to the community by donating a portion of revenue to local non-profit initiatives.
Photography and Design:
Claudia T is a photographer that works to put women in front of the camera, rather than always being behind it. From professional headshots to family, wedding, and boudoir photography, Claudia T is dedicated to helping women feel confident and beautiful.
GOOD Company Graphic Design is a graphic design duo that specializes in branding and marketing solutions for businesses and non-profits big and small with a social mandate embedded into the organization.
Ingrid Kue Photography is a corporate photographer that aims to help professionals and businesses make a great first impression through dynamic photos that capture their brand.
Juice Creative is a graphic design team that works to change narratives and shift mindsets through creative marketing materials for organizations that are working to better the city.
O’Reilly Design Co is a proudly vegan graphic designer who works exclusively with businesses that share the vegan values – doing no harm to people, the planet, or animals – to create brand strategies and communications pieces to spread their message.
TAKE ACTION:
Click here to check out our directory for even more local businesses from a variety of industries.
Check out this article on Things to do in Calgary to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Read More
We have compiled an extensive list of REAP businesses that are owned in some way by women. Check out the selection below:
Beauty:
Ellie Bianca is a skincare company on a mission to empower women in Canada and in Africa through business and education. Whether it be employing women in Chad to harvest ingredients or by raising funds to create a scholarship for single mothers in Calgary.
Neal’s Yard Remedies Canada is a family-owned skincare company that works with suppliers around the world to find unique, sustainable ingredients for its products.
Pure Creations is a skincare company that works directly with farmers in British Columbia and Alberta to procure ingredients from their produce.
SwizzleSticks SalonSpa has a decades-long reputation for its sustainable approach to wellness and beauty. From the ethical beauty brands to donating hair clippings to an organization that fashions the clippings to soak up oil spills in the ocean, SwizzleSticks SalonSpa is dedicated to making an impact.
The Apothecary in Inglewood is a one-stop wellness shop, from house-made or locally-sourced bath and beauty products, to essential oils, and its crowning glory: a refillery station dedicated to spreading the zero-waste lifestyle.
YYC Beeswax uses locally-sourced beeswax to craft everything from candles to food wraps and skincare products, carefully considered to reduce waste and solve everyday issues from dryness to the annoyance of saran wrap.
Building and Construction:
Ryan Murphy Construction is a construction company run by two women eager to shake up their industry. From residential to commercial projects, and retrofitting for accessibility needs.
Vertical Oxygen creates living walls – feature walls fully engulfed in tropical plants -- to beautify and purify homes, offices, retail spaces, and schools.
Business services:
Beyond Paper Bookkeeping is a bookkeeping firm helping businesses of all sizes manage their backlog and maintain their fiscal-year goals.
BRAVE Communications is a communications consultancy that helps individuals and organizations find their authentic voice, from marketing materials to presentation skills.
Human Touch Events is an event planning and management business, working with anyone from families to corporate clients to create engaging experiences that bring people closer together.
JMK Admin Services is a remote-based administrative operation with a background in the federal government. Founder Jo Kelly is also a staunch advocate for equal opportunity for people with disabilities, as she herself is a former Paralympian who uses a wheelchair.
Karma & Cents is a philanthropic firm specializing in meeting the needs of family foundations and enterprises towards their legacy and social impact objectives.
ProVision Coaching is a coaching firm specializing in the unique needs of family-owned businesses, using founder and lead coach Laura Bechard’s personal experience in the field to her advantage to help other businesses and families live in harmony.
The Bridge is a coworking space founded by a husband and wife, with the goal to help fellow parent entrepreneurs balance work and life in a stable and cooperative environment. They also have started offering a long-form Accelerator program, the first cohort of which is geared towards female entrepreneurs.
The Commons is a coworking and events space founded by a woman and her brother. The pair have worked hard to foster a unique environment with deep roots in the community, ensuring that members of the space and its staff feel like part of their family.
Trico Changemakers Studio is a unique coworking space based out of Mount Royal University, with a very specific mandate to onboard organizations and individuals across all sectors – as long as they are working towards systemic change to make a better future for all people.
Vida Events is an event planning and management business that works exclusively with non-profit events in hopes of increasing engagement in their communities and inspiring others to donate or become otherwise involved.
Vital Partners Inc. is an insurance brokerage that specializes in finding health benefit solutions for entrepreneurs, small to medium businesses, and non-profits.
Families:
Calgary Reads is a non-profit organization founded by a former teacher that aims to promote childhood literacy in Calgary, with a specific focus on under-served communities and schools.
Claudia’s Choices provides sustainable, natural solutions for laundry. Especially geared towards families with small children.
Dogma Training and Pet Services works with reactive dogs of all ages and their owners to create harmony at home and out in the world between people and pets.
Dr For Moms Family Health Center is a one-stop shop for family wellness, including chiropractors, yoga, massage, and holistic nutrition – among many other modalities – to help moms and their children thrive.
Growing Co is a retail and consignment outlet for Canadian-made and sustainable kid’s clothing and products, both new and used, founded by a mom on a mission to help make the shopping experience fun for kids and parents, and more sustainable for the environment.
Muttley Crue is a dog grooming and daycare facility, promoting sustainable, local products and wellness for dogs in addition to peace of mind for their owners.
Stephanie Hrehirchuk is a local author, whose books for children are a guide for creating little environmental stewards.
Food and Beverage:
Devil’s Head Coffee is a roasterie owned by a husband and wife duo, who work directly with coffee farmers around the world to produce single-origin beans.
Gemstone Grass-Fed Beef is a family-owned ranch in rural Alberta, working to promote sustainable cattle production.
Highwood Crossing is a family-owned grain farm in High River that goes back centuries, and still uses the same principles from a century ago to produce all-natural, non-GMO canola and other grain products.
River Café Group includes Deane House and River Café, two local long-standing restaurants that work to make dining on Canadian cuisine an enriching experience for all.
True Buch is a kombucha company with deep community roots, from procuring sustainable ingredients for its beverages, to using its products to give back to the community by donating a portion of revenue to local non-profit initiatives.
Photography and Design:
Claudia T is a photographer that works to put women in front of the camera, rather than always being behind it. From professional headshots to family, wedding, and boudoir photography, Claudia T is dedicated to helping women feel confident and beautiful.
GOOD Company Graphic Design is a graphic design duo that specializes in branding and marketing solutions for businesses and non-profits big and small with a social mandate embedded into the organization.
Ingrid Kue Photography is a corporate photographer that aims to help professionals and businesses make a great first impression through dynamic photos that capture their brand.
Juice Creative is a graphic design team that works to change narratives and shift mindsets through creative marketing materials for organizations that are working to better the city.
O’Reilly Design Co is a proudly vegan graphic designer who works exclusively with businesses that share the vegan values – doing no harm to people, the planet, or animals – to create brand strategies and communications pieces to spread their message.
TAKE ACTION:
Click here to check out our directory for even more local businesses from a variety of industries.
Check out this article on Things to do in Calgary to celebrate International Women’s Day.
